Tatooine (AOTC)

For AOTC the crew returned to the Chott around September 2000, the director and producer had a deal with the Tunisian government to keep the set standing and in turn it became a tourist attraction.
Filming only a few segments where Anakin and Padme arrive and then proceed to ask Watto what has happened to Anakins Mother.

Chott El Djerid is part of the vast dry salt lake flats that cover 5,000 sq km on the West side of central/southern Tunisia near the Algerian boarder.

It was amazing to see how film slight of hand can put two completely separate places together; the “igloo” at Nefta and the homestead pit in Matmata are some 60km apart. Thanks to digital work for AOTC there is a scene were the two are seamlessly joined.

A huge well done to all the guys involved in the “Save the Lars Homestead” project, who in 2012 went out to restore the crumbling dome.

The Hotel is actually made up of 5 underground pits linked by numerous passageways. The entrance from the main road / coach park was innocuous enough, as you head down into the working of the hotel it is relatively hard to work out what direction to the “Lars” courtyard. At the Hotels reception desk there is a map and evidence of the Star Wars bandwagon that blew through town in March 1976 for ANH and in September 2000 for AOTC.